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Dongduk Women's University drops complaints against students over campus protest

Dongduk Women's University has withdrawn all criminal complaints filed against students who staged a sit-in protest last year against the school's proposed transition to a coeducational system. The decision comes roughly six months after the controversy began. According to a statement posted on Thursday by the university's student council emergency steering committee, the university president, deans and student representatives held a meeting Wednesday and agreed to submit documents to the police requesting the withdrawal of charges and expressing no intent to pursue punishment. The university is also expected to release a presidential statement outlining this decision, alongside a joint student statement and a cooperation agreement. A university official confirmed the move in a phone interview with Yonhap News Agency, saying, “Both sides recognized that prolonged conflict would negatively impact the school’s development. We hope this becomes a turning point for improved communication between the university and the student body.” The protest began in early November last year, when s

May 15, 2025By KTimes
Dongduk Women's University drops complaints against students over campus protest

Taiwanese nationals arrested for US base trespass in Korea, while Chinese suspects released for similar incident

Two Taiwanese nationals were recently arrested for illegally entering a U.S. Air Force base in Korea and photographing fighter jets and military facilities. Two Chinese nationals involved in a similar incident were released without being detained. According to police, the determining factor was whether the suspects had trespassed into a restricted military area. The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police said Wednesday that they had requested arrest warrants for two Taiwanese nationals, in their 60s and 40s, who have since been detained on suspicion of violating the Protection of Military Bases and Installations Act. In contrast, two Chinese nationals previously investigated for the same charge were released shortly after questioning. According to police, the Taiwanese individuals entered Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek on Saturday during the “Osan Air Power Days 2025,” despite having been denied entry by U.S. military officials. They used a gate reserved for Korean citizens and mingled with the crowd to gain unauthorized access. Once inside, they used telephoto lenses to photograph U.S. fighte

May 15, 2025By KTimes
Taiwanese nationals arrested for US base trespass in Korea, while Chinese suspects released for similar incident

Elementary school teacher assaulted by student, later accused of child abuse by parent

An elementary school teacher in Busan was reportedly assaulted by a student during school hours, only to then face a child abuse accusation filed by the student’s parent. According to the Busan Metropolitan Office of Education and the Busan Teachers' Union on Wednesday, the incident occurred on April 28 at an elementary school in Seo District. A male student, referred to as "A," struck teacher "B" in the face and head. The incident began during lunch when teacher B, the homeroom teacher of a nearby class, attempted to intervene in a fight between student A and another student. When the teacher instructed both students to apologize, A refused and returned to his classroom. B followed him to provide further guidance, but A reportedly became aggressive — throwing a pencil case and punching the teacher multiple times in the face and head. He also pushed the teacher to the floor and pulled the teacher’s hair. The situation was brought under control after other teachers intervened. B sustained bruises to the face, hands, and arms, as well as a head injury. A medical report indicated a tw

May 15, 2025By KTimes
Elementary school teacher assaulted by student, later accused of child abuse by parent

Son Heung-min files complaint against woman for blackmail over false pregnancy claim

Police have launched an investigation after Son Heung-min, captain of the Korean national football team and star forward for Tottenham Hotspur, filed a complaint accusing a woman in her 20s of attempting to blackmail him by falsely claiming she was pregnant with his child. The Gangnam Police Station in Seoul said Wednesday it has booked the woman, identified only by her surname A, along with an alleged accomplice in his 40s, on charges of blackmail. Authorities confirmed they received Son’s complaint on May 7 and have begun an investigation. According to Son’s legal team, the woman falsely claimed in June last year that she was pregnant and demanded large sums of money in return for not going public. Investigators believe the suspects continued to seek additional payments totaling tens of millions of won even recently. Police said they are questioning those involved to determine the exact circumstances of the case. This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.

May 14, 2025By KTimes
Son Heung-min files complaint against woman for blackmail over false pregnancy claim

Ewha Womans University slammed for blocking queer film festival

Ewha Womans University's decision to deny the use of its campus theater, Arthouse Momo, for the upcoming Korea Queer Film Festival (KQFF) scheduled for June has sparked criticism, with many accusing the school of discriminating against the LGBTQ+ community. “The Seoul Queer Culture Festival (SQCF) organizing committee was informed on April 30 by Arthouse Momo, which had already finalized a rental agreement with us for the 25th Korea Queer Film Festival, that the venue would no longer be available,” said Shim Hyo-jin, chairperson of the KQFF, during a press conference Wednesday in Seoul. The annual film festival was set to kick off on June 20, featuring 39 films from 12 countries at the campus theater — the same venue that hosted the KQFF last year. However, anti-gay groups filed multiple complaints to the university, arguing that the screening of queer films on campus goes against the university’s founding Christian values and could "promote homosexuality among young students." In response, the university reportedly conveyed to the theater that “screening movies that contradict

May 14, 2025By Lee Hae-rin
Ewha Womans University slammed for blocking queer film festival

EU envoys explore water tech collaboration with K-water

Ambassadors from the European Union and four of its member states visited Korea Water Resources Corp. (K-water) on Tuesday, showing strong interest in the company’s cutting-edge water management technologies. The visit has sparked expectations of expanding Korea’s presence in the European water market amid growing challenges posed by climate-induced water crises. It also marks a pivotal step in advancing Korea’s water industry on the global stage and lays the groundwork for the potential commercialization of its technology in European markets. The EU delegation at K-water’s headquarters and research center in Daejeon included EU Ambassador Maria Castillo Fernandez, along with Greek Ambassador Loukas Tsokos, Belgian Ambassador Bruno Jans, Slovak Ambassador Marek Repovsky and Slovenian Ambassador Jernej Müller. The ambassadors toured facilities showcasing K-water’s next-generation water management technologies, including digital twin platforms and satellite-based monitoring systems for floods and droughts. The envoys were particularly impressed by real-time disaster response sys

May 14, 2025By Jung Da-hyun
EU envoys explore water tech collaboration with K-water

Man rescued after 3.5-hour rooftop standoff near Gangnam Station

A man who climbed onto the rooftop railing of a 15-story building near Seoul's Gangnam Station was safely rescued after a tense standoff that lasted more than three and a half hours on Tuesday. According to fire authorities, the incident began around 3 p.m., when emergency services received a report that a man was standing on the edge of a building near Exit 2 of Gangnam Station on Subway Line 2. Firefighters responded quickly, deploying two large air mats on the ground and securing the area to keep bystanders away. A police SWAT team and a negotiation unit were also dispatched to assist in the rescue. Witnesses said the man paced along the narrow ledge and waved his arms in the air. Rescue workers kept engaging him in conversation from a close distance on the rooftop in an effort to de-escalate the situation. He was eventually pulled to safety at around 6:30 p.m. This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.

May 14, 2025By KTimes
Man rescued after 3.5-hour rooftop standoff near Gangnam Station

All 8 crew members rescued from capsizing fishing boat off coast of Jeju Island

All eight crew members were rescued from a fishing boat that was capsizing off the coast of Jeju Island on Tuesday, according to officials. According to authorities, a distress signal was received at 6:11 p.m. from the 29-ton fishing vessel approximately 563 kilometers southwest of Moseulpo port in the southern part of Jeju Island. The eight people aboard the vessel — one Korean captain and seven Indonesian crew members — were rescued from the sinking ship, the authorities said. (Yonhap)

May 13, 2025By Yonhap
All 8 crew members rescued from capsizing fishing boat off coast of Jeju Island

UN committee slams Korea's treatment of migrants, foreign workers

A rise in hate speech and the mistreatment of migrants and foreign workers in Korea is drawing heightened international scrutiny. A U.N. committee has voiced concerns over the country’s response to racial discrimination and, for the first time, criticized the country's national human rights watchdog for failing to take effective steps. The U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) recently released a report highlighting the growing prevalence of racist rhetoric both online and offline. It noted that migrants, asylum-seekers, refugees, Muslims and individuals of Chinese descent are increasingly being targeted. Since joining the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination in 1978, Korea has undergone regular U.N. reviews to assess its compliance. This year’s review was the first since December 2018. The committee also criticized the National Human Rights Commission of Korea for lacking effective measures to address these growing issues. This marks a significant warning for Korea, as it is the first time the committee has dir

May 13, 2025By Jung Da-hyun
UN committee slams Korea's treatment of migrants, foreign workers
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